This post may contain affiliate links
Add Bake with Zoha as a preferred source on Google and find more of my tried-and-tested recipes.
This is the Tandoori Chicken Star Bread that Gordon Ramsay called “f**king delicious” in the semi-final of Next Level Baker – and trust me, it is worthy of that praise! It starts with an ultra-soft, fluffy bread similar to naan, layered with a smoky, spicy tandoori chicken filling and melty cheese, then shaped into a beautiful twisted star. Once baked golden brown, it is finished with fragrant garlic butter for the ultimate savory shine. It needs only one rise and is easier to make than it looks, an absolute showstopper on the table, and bursting with bold flavor.
Gordon Ramsay and Carla Hall LOVED this bread!
I competed in Gordon Ramsay’s first ever baking competition show, Next Level Baker. The semi-final was a 60 minute savory challenge, and I was quite intimidated as I consider myself strong with sweets. I knew I had to use Pakistani flavors to stand out, and was inspired by my very beloved Tandoori Chicken Naan Buns. But individually shaped buns are tedious and time consuming, so I decided to turn them into this star shaped bread instead. The judges LOVED it, with Gordon Ramsay calling it “f***ing delicious” and a “showstopper”, and Carla Hall actually asked me for the recipe!
Here’s a little clip of the bake:
5 simple components for this bread
This Tandoori Chicken Star Bread is made with 5 quick components (I promise they’re quick, I did make them all AND a raita in just 60 minutes on the show!):
- Naan bread dough. This is a simple dough that contains yogurt for the signature naan texture and flavor. It is simple and no fuss, as you just chuck everything into the mixer at once. If you want to knead by hand, you can also do that – find more details on how in my tandoori chicken naan bun recipe
- Tandoori chicken filling. The filling is made with chicken thighs or tenders marinated in a blend of yogurt and spices, then cooked on high heat until slightly charred. It also gets an optional (but recommended) smoking with wooden smoking chips for an authentic tandoori flavor! It is just delicious
- Cheese. Of course, a bread recipe needs some cheesy yumminess! You can add any shredded cheese you like – I have used mozzarella, cheddar, gruyere and even a combination!
- Egg wash. Make an egg wash with an egg yolk and milk to help bind the dough and brush on top for a golden sheen
- Garlic butter. Finally, you brush the baked bread with garlic butter to really bring home the naan flavor!
How to make star shaped bread
Making star shaped bread is much, much easier than it looks! And it’s not just for the looks – it’s great for serving because of its “tear and share” quality. Everyone can pull a strand for themselves with no need for a knife.
Here’s a quick step by step on how to make it with pictures:
Firstly, divide the dough into two halves and roll each half into a ~10″ circle. Place one circle on the baking sheet with parchment.
Then spread on the chicken filling, leaving 1/2″ empty around the edges.
Cover with shredded cheese, leaving the edges empty still.
Brush egg wash on the edges. Then cover with the other dough sheet. Press the edges together lightly to bind them together.
Now, place a small round bowl (or something similar) in the middle of the bread – this is the protected zone that you don’t cut! Divide the rest of the bread into 16 strands as pictured. I like to do half first, then cut each half into 2 halves, and continue until I have 16 strands or 8 pairs.
Pick 2 strands that are next to each other, and carefully twist them away from each other 2-3 times, then pinch together the ends to create a point. This will create a pretty twisted star point.
Repeat with all 16 strands until you have an 8-pointed star shape.
Brush the bread with egg wash all over, and sprinkle over sesame seeds.
See, not too hard! Just takes a little practice. Now just bake until golden, brush with garlic butter, and serve! And if you want an equally delicious dessert after, make my easy homemade gulab jamun and become everyone’s favorite.
A few more tips before you make it
- PLEASE weigh your flour! It’s so easy to add too much when using a measuring cup, which can easily ruin the texture of the bread
- Don’t kill the yeast! The milk should be warm but not hot or scalding, around 100-110F is best. If it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast
- Don’t be tempted to add more flour. Whether you’re kneading with a stand mixer or by hand, the dough will be very sticky at first but will come together eventually (this can take 10-15 minutes by hand)
- Make sure the dough is properly proofed before shaping. It should have more than doubled in size, and when poked gently with a finger, should spring back partly. Over or under proofing will mess up the end result
- Let the chicken marinade! This is how it absorbs all the flavor. I recommend at least 30 minutes but you can also leave it in the fridge overnight
- Get the baking time right. The bread should have a deep golden color on top and spring back when gently poked. You can also use a thermometer to check the internal temperature, which should be between 190-210F. Overbaking can dry out the bread!
You can learn a lot more tips about kneading and proofing bread in my soft and fluffy garlic butter dinner rolls recipe – just remember this recipe needs only one rise, not two!
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send this directly to you. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Ingredients
Naan dough:
- 160g milk, warmed to 110F (2/3 cups)
- 2 tsp instant yeast (can be substituted with active dry)
- 325g all purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
- 40g sugar (3 tbsp)
- 1 tsp salt
- 60g unsalted butter, softened (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt (preferably full fat)
Tandoori chicken filling:
- 450g chicken thighs (or use tenders), cut into small cubes (about 1 lb)
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp chili flakes (reduce as needed)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp oil, butter or ghee for cooking
- Handful of wooden smoking chips, optional
Assembly:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
- Egg wash (1 yolk + 1 tbsp milk)
- 1–2 tbsp sesame seeds
Garlic butter:
- 2 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
- 1 tsp garlic powder or minced garlic
- 1–2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
Naan dough:
- Start by warming the milk until it is warm to touch but not hot or scaling (around 110F). Mix the warm milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add all the flour, sugar, salt, butter and yogurt. Knead using the dough hook attachment on medium high speed for about 8 minutes. You will know the dough is done when it pulls away from the edges of the bowl, is smooth, soft and stretchy. You can also knead the dough by hand – first bring together the ingredients into a shaggy dough using a wooden spoon, then turn out onto a clean surface and knead with a push-pull motion. This will take a long time (~15 minutes) and be very sticky at first but will eventually become smooth and stretchy
- Transfer the dough into a clean bowl sprayed with oil, cover with cling wrap, and place in a warm place for about 45-60 minutes until it doubles in size, and springs back partly when gently poked with a finger
Tandoori chicken filling:
- While the bread is proofing, work on the chicken. Mix all the ingredients except the oil and smoking chips into a large bowl. Mix until combined, and set aside for 30 minutes
- Once marinated, it’s time to cook. Heat the oil in a large wok on high heat. Add the chicken along with the marinade and cook for ~10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked, most of the liquid has evaporated, and the chicken has started to char. Taste and adjust spices as needed
- Use a fork and knife to shred the chicken into smaller pieces
- Optional step, Place the wooden smoking chips into a sheet of aluminum foil and fold it up so only a small opening remains on the top. Place onto a burner on medium heat until you see smoke escaping from the opening. Use tongs to transfer to the wok, open the foil more, cover with a lid and let smoke for 5 minutes. Be careful and keep the exhaust on during this step
- Let the filling cool down until it’s no longer hot
Assembly:
- Once the dough has risen and the filling is not hot any more, start assembly. Pre-heat your oven to 350F (conventional / no fan). Prepare a large baking sheet or pizza baking pan (ideally light colored) with parchment paper and a spray of oil
- Punch down the dough to remove large air pockets. Divide into 2 equal pieces, and roll each into a ball. Rest for 5 minutes
- Use a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to roll one half of the dough into a 10″ diameter circle. The size doesn’t have to be exact, as long as it’s around 10″ and mostly circular. You can also use a 10″ pan to cut it into a perfect circle! Place this dough sheet onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and stretch it into a circle again if it gets de-shaped in the transfer process.
- Spread the chicken filling on top of the dough circle, leaving 1/2″ empty around the edge of the dough.
- Spread the shredded cheese on top of the chicken, leaving the edge empty still
- Mix the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl to make the egg wash, and use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of the egg wash on the empty edges
- Roll the other half of the dough into a circle of the same size, and carefully transfer it onto the dough with the filling on top. Try to align the placement of the two circles, so the top circle fully covers the filling. Pinch together the edges to seal them
- Place a small pinch bowl or other circular object that is roughly 2″ in diameter in the middle of the bread. This is the part of the bread that will stay intact and not be cut
- Now use a sharp knife to divide the rest of the circle into 2 halves, leaving the part in the middle (~2″) intact. Then divide each half into 2 halves, so the circle has been divided into quarters. Divide each quarter into halves, then cut each half into halves again. At the end, you will have 16 strands of the dough, with the center portion uncut and intact (see photos or video in blog post above for visual demonstration)
- To shape the star, carefully lift two strands that are next to each other in each hand. Twist the strands away from each other two to three times, then pinch together the ends to make a point. This will create a twisted leaf like shape. The twisting will reveal the chicken and cheese filling inside the bread, too. If any chicken falls out, you can poke it back in
- Repeat this step with all 16 strands or 8 pairs, until you have a star shaped bread with 8 prongs
- Remove the circular object placed in the center of the bread. Brush the bread with egg wash all over, and sprinkle over sesame seeds
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for ~20-22 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top and cooked through (internal temperature should be ~190-200F)
Garlic butter:
- Melt the butter in the microwave, then add the garlic and cilantro and mix to combine. Brush all over the baked bread
- Serve and enjoy!
Comments
Laraib Shahid
Watched you on next level baker and wanted to try this ever since. It has such a rich taste and so easy to make
Zoha Malik
Aw, so happy you made it :’)
Sadia
best recipe ever. the bread turns out so soft.
Shabnam
This is one of the best recipe I ever tried ❤️. So far I made 7 stars and my family keeps asking for more 🙄. Of course I love to recreate it again and again, but I wanna try more of the repices from your page. Now I guess its a staple in our house. Thank you soooo much for detail recipe 🥰, no one can go wrong.
Taylor
Hey zoha! If I am making in a fan oven will the temperature and baking time be the same or different. I will really appreciate if you reply to my comment. Thank you!
Zoha Malik
hi taylor! no, fan ovens run hotter, so you have to reduce the temperature by 25F 🙂 So instead of 350, set it to 325F
NYSL
Made this for my family yesterday, it was absolutely delicious. The bread was so fluffy! Honestly the chicken by itself is a veritable dish in its own right. For those who like a spicy kick, I think experimenting with more red pepper flakes in the mozarella or a spicier cheese would be fun. And for those who live in humid environments like me, would recommend cutting down on the milk a little bit since I had to add a lot more flour to get the dough to the proper consistency (if this happens to you, just make a little bit more chicken). A+!!!!!!!!!
Zoha
Thank you so much for your kind and helpful review, NYSL! It means a lot to me!
Mahnoor
It was your 1st recepie that i tried and since then m hooked to your craft..whenever i’ve to cook something new i jump to your blog just to see if u have that recipe so that i can follow that blindly bcz i know i can trust ur recipes this much…
Zoha
AW, SO glad to have you here, Mahnoor!
Maheen Kazmi
It was a hit!! loved the bread
Zoha
Thank you!
Mehrunnisa
uf uf uf . I have made this a few times now and everytime it comes out perfect. your tips are really helpful . everyone loves it ! its my new go to thing to make for parties
Zoha
Thank you so much, Mehrunnisa!
Sana
What an idea!! Tasted delicious too.
Zoha
Thank you so much!
Dieuwertje
Hi Zoha,
Can you proof the dough overnight as well? Or is it better to make it on the same day as you bake it?
Thanks!
Zoha
I recommend baking the same day; dough from the fridge doesn’t end up as soft unless given the time to come to room temp first 🙂
Sarah
Made this today as an Iftar dish for my family, and it’s nearly wiped out. The naan just melts, the chicken so flavorful, it is divine. JZK Zoha for sharing this amazing recipe. Looking forward to trying more.
Zoha
Aww thank you so much!
Mishi
im not one to make my own bread fo4 any reason. this however was minimal effort with a banger taste! love love love!
Zoha
I am so happy you gave this a shot!
Arshiya
I simply love your recipes. This bread was such a hit that I am making it second time this week. Super soft and delicious.
Thank you for such amazingggg recipes!!
Zoha
Thank you so much, Arshiya! it’s my pleasure
Samra Subhani
superb
Noor
I have tried this recipe twice but got different results.
The first one turned out amazing (like all your other recipes I have ever tried; literally fool proof amazing, drool worthy recipes)
The second time, I don’t know what went wrong in my process. The dough completely collapsed, and couldn’t hold its structure at all. I ended up making rosettes out of the star strands but still wondering what went wrong.
Maybe I let the dough rest too much?
Zoha
Hi Noor! “collapsed” does sound like overproofing – it kind of loses air and goes pooooofff
Ally Athar
Can I bake the bread night before and reheat in the morning? Will it still be as good?
Zoha
Hi Ally, yes should be ok! Keep at room temp covered with cling wrap
Ally Athar
Hi, can I make the bread the night before to serve next morning?
Er
Hey Zoha 🙂
The recipe looks fantastic as is most of your recipes. I made an error by just mixing all the ingredients in the boiled potatoes and shaping them, for some reason I dont know why I thought I just had to cook them and not cook loll. If I were to cook the aloo patty, will it be okay please? or is it going to be horrible lol
thanks and sorry for the weird question
JJ
Made this for iftar today and OMGGG?!! I mean I knew the recipe was great but I didn’t know I could pull it off! Thanks so much Zoha for such a detailed recipe; followed it to a T and it turned out absolutely amazing. My parents were simply gushing!
Zoha
You did it! I am so proud of you 🙂
Sadaf
This recipe was truly amazing, and my family thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you, Zoha, for sharing such a wonderful recipe and for providing such clear and easy-to-follow instructions.
Zoha
It is truly my pleasure, thank you so much!